I was recently asked by Randy Vaughn to join him as one his first guests on his School MarketingPodcast. His site has a primary audience of private, independent, or Christian school marketing. Prior to my current six years in a public school district, I worked five years at a private school in Ft. Worth as a communications director. There is a constant need for guidance in the areas of marketing communication and admissions for administrators of private schools. Private and public education both need capable and professional voices to help tell their stories, explain the challenges and sell their products - trust in education.
Last week, Simon Salt (@incslinger) spoke at the Greater Ft. Worth Chapter of PRSA April luncheon with his presentation, "Conversing with Consumers." He covered the types of conversations that consumers are already having about your brand, plus how you can join in and more importantly, when it's appropriate. These are the highlights:
The social consumer has a much larger network from which to gather advice/guidance for purchases. The old sales paradigm was relatively simple: your brand has product(s)/service(s) and you exchange those for money. The new sales paradigm includes social capital. Simon explained that the social consumer expects more from the exchange. They want a way to accrue goodwill from a brand and be rewarded for leveraging their network.
You need to know where they are sharing
Salt reaffirmed the reality that social media is not the silver bullet or the center of the universe. Social consumers share IRL (in real life); face-to-face, over the phone, etc. Are they using social media tools? Yes, of course. But bear in mind the influence is still very much a relational activity. Using a grid of opportunity and engagement, Salt touched on mobile and brand property compared to face-to-face and social media for relevant reach.
He gave the stat that 70% of brands fail to respond to negative tweets and that if you'd do that small thing, you'd be outpacing much of the competition. He also is a proponent of leveraging Yelp with the caveat that customers don't know how to rate you. Rating are not the end of the conversation, just the beginning. (I think this could be an area for deep-dive for retailers, restaurants, and other service-industry types.)
You need to know why they share
"There are no wallflowers in social media," stated Salt on using social media to share all of the details of your day. "Your life isn't really that interesting." I think he's right since being an Internet celebrity often seems to be the name of the game for some especially those that go way overboard on the 'personal branding' kick. It goes back to having a motivation to improve social capital. He also said do not dismiss the fact that some people may be paid to bash your brand by other brands. (This concept seemed to shock some attendees.) Look for the sharer's deeper motivation.
At this point, Simon Salt shared a breakdown of the Conversation Triage likening it to emergency response color-coded tape for dealing with injuries:
RED - Critical; YELLOW - Urgent; GREEN - Non-Urgent; and BLACK - Non-responsive
I was particularly intrigued by this concept and asked him to explain it again after the meeting. Here's his response:
He gave some quick advice on what to do with typical interactions in social media. If you/your brand gets:
Praise - Say 'thank you'
Question - Route it to the appropriate person and respond as necessary
Complaint - Apologize
Simon gave a funny tongue-in-check response to the concept of viral: "The secret to getting something to go viral, piss people off."
--> Content strategy must be a part of the planning. <--
He shared some thoughts on working with influences and fans plus the idea of having brand advocates as defenders. They will defend your brand if you empower them.
Simon Salt closed with the three keys to giving your content greatest opportunity to spread:
Make it Fun - Humor works. (Self-deprecating humor is best. Don't make fun of your customers.)
Image via CrunchBaseEarlier this evening I had the opportunity to participate in a conference call conversation with Brian Solis along with a handful of other DFW bloggers. We were invited to ask some questions of Brian who will be the lunch keynote speaker at the Dallas PRSA Communications Summit this Friday, October 22.
As a professional communicator, I was thrilled to have a chance to learn from such a respected thought leader of new media and prolific author.
Below are the topics our little cadre of questioners narrowed down along with summary responses from Brian Solis:
What are the key differences between PR 1.0 and 2.0, and how can someone educate themselves? The depth of knowledge, experience, and passion for peer-to-peer need to be in the I-have-to-learn-category for professionals. It's beyond pitching and placing; it's about moving individuals. It means realizing that we need to connect with humans that shape markets. This dynamic understanding of digital influence is what he believes will bring PR back to life.
(I recently ran across a video Brian Solis did with Chris Beck and 26 Dot Two about branded content called The great advertising disconnect. "The last mile") What are some things PR people need to focus on today to reach that "last mile" of engagement? Brian smartly pointed us to his blog post, The Last Mile: The Socialization of Business along with his series The Hybrid Theory Manifesto: The Future of Marketing, Advertising, and Communications (Parts One, Two, and Three) to give us a framework on his vision. He has provided his call to action or at least attention the fact that there is a gap that isn't being filled by PR. Advertising firms are bringing PR into the fold because they recognize the necessity and wisdom reaching and activating the influential individuals. (As an aside, this portion of the call intrigued me the most and warrants further research.)
Can you tell us a little about the premise of your book, Engage? What is the importance in it for PR/social media folks? Brian responded that basically where he is now in his professional life is entrenched in the realm of organizational restructuring. He said his new book, Engage, is written with the executive suite in mind. "There are so many champions, we need more leaders," said Solis. There's an important lesson for PR people here: we need to be leaders.
How do you measure the value of engagement and report that back to your brand? In measurement and reporting, you must start with the end in mind. Every aspect of social media is not created equally, nor are friends, fans, communities, etc. When you know who you are talking to, you can segment the story. Ultimately, we measure engagement based on the predefined objectives we want to accomplish. (In other words it's the seeing, clicking, doing that tells us we're winning.)
Brian Solis left us with some additional thoughts as he noticed one of our bloggers was doing a bit of live-tweeting during the call. The real-time updates triggered some final words of wisdom from our call:
Consumers have become empowered.
There are audiences within audiences.
The balance of power has shifted.
IF you can inspired others to follow and share, you are on the right track.
--- If you are in the DFW area on Friday, October 22, consider joining the Dallas chapter of PRSA for their annual Communications Summit: "Engage. Educate. Elevate." In addition to Solis, they have another great line-up for PR pros. --- I look forward to reading what the other bloggers zeroed in on from the call. Be sure to check out posts from Alyssa Gardina, Elysa Rice, and Eddy Badrina. (Also, special thanks and hat tip to Kai Stansberry, Lauren Fernandez and Chad Sour for the invitation and getting this call organized.)
Image via Wikipedia
I really appreciate how our media friends have embraced the conversation on ways to improve education. From special reports on CNN to NBC's Education Nation, bringing education to the forefront of the dialogue is encouraging.
Perhaps the new conversation is tinged with typical politics for the election season and nothing new will come of it. On the other hand, having education in the public discourse through media like Oprah and even as the central theme in an upcoming documentary film, tells me it might be something more.
The stats are grim when taken as a whole. Bottom-line, we can all do better. School systems should operate like works-in-progress just as the students they teach and attempt to reach.
There is also a lesson for PR pros: Don't be a digital media drop-out. Don't be satisfied with where you are in your professional learning. I chose digital media specifically because that seems to be the area in our profession that is currently getting the bulk of the conversation. Social media integration concepts will continue to spread. It is my hope that PR pros won't take the easy road and, like a high school drop-out, just barely scratch the surface of usefulness of education for themselves.
Being a life-long learner would be a great example to set for students today and I believe that's a lesson worth sharing.
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Special thanks to Shane Haggerty for bringing up this issue for other school PR people and framing the dialogue to advance and highlight local school district programs for communities.
Also, if you haven't seen it, I'd encourage you to check out the trailer for the documentary mentioned earlier:
Once you've moved passed your initial fears of blogging for your school district, it's time to think about the type of content you wish to provide for the community. Let the goals be your guide for what to write.
Of course, the above is by no means an exhaustive list, rather just some ideas that might help get you going.
When deciding what to write in a school district's blog remember:
Write what you know - Blogs are at there best when they are written from the perspective of someone who has relevant knowledge and information to share.
Be interesting - A school district community is a collective of individual parents, students, staff, and public. You have to figure out what are the compelling needs and topics to match their interests.
Be Honest - This is a big one. If you have access to information AND are authorized to share, you can use these behind-the-scenes topics as relevant posts. The caveat is just like when dealing with the media, you must be honest or you could set yourself up for failure. Dishonesty and failure in a blog can take on a mini-to-major PR storm if you are not careful.
Be Yourself - You school district blog can have an informal tone. Use the language that you would use in conversation and avoid the eduspeak as much as possible. Or think of it like author/blogger David Meerman Scott said in a recent keynote speech, "speak to your buyers in their language, not yours."
It's a two-way street - Commenting is a must in my opinion. School districts can get the most out of their blogs if they have a commenting system in place for readers. Being able to get feedback is a great listening tool and should not be overlooked. Arik Hanson, sums it up quite well I think:
"...the best part of many blogs isn’t the posts. It’s the comments. Why? Because the comments represent the real discussion board. People with varying viewpoints adding valuable content. Folks starting productive conversation threads that go in a different direction from the original post. And people leaving tips and tools that are beneficial to us all. That’s the real gold of blog posts."
Your school district blog can provide a place where parents, students, staff and the public can read some of the latest news, thoughts, and information from school district leadership and engage in respectful dialogue. It's up to you to cultivate an atmosphere of sharing with the community and develop the strategies the best fit the needs of your school district. What would you add? If you blog for a school district, what issues have come up for you?
When writing blogs, one of the many considerations to make is on commenting. Whether or not you are going allow anonymous commenting, moderate comments or have open commenting, you should carefully think about the ramifications. (Photo credit: Matt Westervelt)
"I don't care if you're talking about a traditional newspaper's website or a blog -- when you allow anonymous commenting, you disrespect the topic, the conversation and the readers.
These are not conversations -- they are verbal vomit.
It's perfectly logical that the anonymity invites people to behave in ways they wouldn't if they had to identify themselves. And it swings to both ends of the spectrum. On the one hand -- they're vicious in their personal attacks, cruel comments and judgments. On the flip side, they can completely bypass the topic all together in an attempt to get some link love/attention for their product or service."
I agree, sort of
I have seen this verbal spewing by anonymous idiots and trolls on blogs, newspapers and broadcast news station pages. I hate that media sites allow for anonymous commenting as if to wash their hands of any responsibility for what the public has to say. That said, I think there is actually a worthwhile place for allowing anonymous commenting -- on a school district's blog.
I've found in three years of blogging for the school district that some comments do in fact fall into the what-were-they-thinking!? category. Thankfully, most of the comments that have come in anonymously are relevant, conversational in nature and would have been great to have with a name attached so that we could have responded via further comments or even a separate post. It is difficult to address concerns or topics when you don't know who is asking the questions or leaving their nuggets of wisdom.
Like Drew, McLellan, I highly recommend having a blogging policy. (Here's my district's blog commenting policy if you'd like a sample.)
I can understand that there are times when a school district's blog readers may feel like they'd rather not want their name tied to a comment. Particularly if they feel like not having their name tied to some controversial topics and/or opinions. Why is this ok? Because, I also recommend moderating school district blog comments.
(Pause as gasps of horror are heard across the social media landscape from purists.)
Yes, moderating comments on school district blogs is a good idea. From our policy:
"All posting of comments on this blog are at the discretion of the editors. The intent of this policy is not to keep any negative or critical information from being posted, but to protect the privacy and rights of Mansfield ISD staff and students. To clarify, we will not post comments that reference specific employees or students. It is our policy to review all comments before publishing, partly to reduce the possibility of spam comments and partly to ensure comments are in line with our blog commenting guidelines..."
If readers want to bash a school district for decisions, policies, etc. it can be done so constructively. Readers comments are important and you should value the constructive criticism along with the conversation and praise. A district blog is a great community communication tool, it just takes some work.
What do you think? Should anonymous commenting be allowed? The comments are yours.
What could be a worthwhile discussion appears to be spiraling into another tedious argument amongst ourselves that reminds me that PR people are sometimes like star-belly Sneetches by Dr. Seuss. (Read through the commentary on the PRSAY blogand others.)
Instead, we could be discussing how to better encourage and enlist non-accredited PRSA members (who make up approximately 80% of membership) for national opportunities up to and including board and officer service. This seems to me to be the crux of the group's argument. They want to have a more democratic approach:
We do not believe that democracy is being served in PRSA so long as only a small minority of its members can hold elective office. We believe that many worthy members of PRSA who meet national leadership criteria in many other ways are being deprived of the opportunity to serve the organization.
For the record, I'm not accredited. Yet.
I have the professional short-term goal of getting my APR because I see the value in it for me. It's not for the magic letters behind my name, it's for the time, dedication, and preparation that I believe getting accredited takes that will help me be a better public relations professional. In short, I think it's worth it.
"...The value is personal, and it comes from preparation for the exam, not from those silly letters you put on your business card.
And that's the other side of the issue. The APR doesn't communicate much to people outside of PRSA circles. It's inside baseball. The APR might make you more a effective and well- rounded pro. But it's unlikely to get you a job or a promotion.
The more important debate this week is about the rule within PRSA that restricts non-APRs from holding national office. I favor repeal of that rule so the 80% of PRSA members who don't have the magic star on their bellies can participate in governance of the society."
For me, this is about PRSA governance. We shouldn't limit ourselves in this way. I've gone back and forth this week on this week-old effort and I've come to the conclusion that I don't want PRSA to become a weak-old organization. I believe we have highly qualified APR and non-APR members serving at the local chapter levels who have the skills, desire, and time to devote to PRSA at the national level if given the opportunity. We should critically look at opportunities to adapt and change PRSA for the benefit of all members. This is one of those times for that type of discussion. I think the suggestion by Don Bates, APR, Fellow PRSA on the PRSAY post sums it up nicely:
"...I don’t think the issue posed by the petitioners should be resolved by an all or nothing approach. The PRSA board should form a task force to look at options that will allow the Society to open up the ranks of needed leadership without undermining the concrete professional value of the APR process and APR status."
I hope it doesn't continue to devolve further into the APR haves vs. have-nots argument and we keep perspective on the issue of governance.
What do you think? I'm asking my PRSA member and non-member readers to share your thoughts on this. As always, the comments are yours.
I opened up my blog for a guest post in the hopes of featuring a college senior about to graduate for the 2nd edition of Help a PR Pro Out (HAPPO). I have been communicating with and invited Kathelin (Kat) Buxton, UTA PRSSA President, to share some insights here on why employers should hire her. However, she sort of turned down the offer and turned things around. What resulted was a wonderful example of PR advocacy:
Kathelin wrote to me and explained why she was turning down my blog feature offer:
I have been fortunate these past few weeks to have been presented with more than a handful of interviews and one or two job offers that I thought it would be better suited to field this blog post opportunity to another PR pro who needs a hand.Below a blog post that Elizabeth Flores wrote, a fellow soon to be graduate and highly underrated individual. She played a pivotal role in the UTA Bateman case study team, and was part of our group that presented at the last PRSSA meeting. She is very dedicated and a hard worker but has not had the opportunity to immerse herself in the world of PR as I have due to other extenuating circumstances and a few too many curve balls thrown her way. I'm sorry if this is not what you had in mind, but what good am I as a PR pro if I can't be an advocate...[emphasis added]
So with that, here is the HAPPO guest post featuring Elizabeth Flores: Elizabeth E. Flores | @isabella026
Mountain climbing might be considered an extreme sport, but it has become my passion over the past few years. More so this past year as I prepare to reach one of the highest mountains tops I have worked hard to conquer. In two weeks, I will have reached my Mt. Kilimanjaro and be the first in a large family to graduate from college. Despite many obstacles that could have prevented the climb, I hurdled the odds and reached the top.
As I try to make my way into the workforce, I know many employers will ask why her? out of the many other promising recent graduates, who might have more experience. There are three rules I came across and embraced to drive myself to success:
Know what to expect and expect the unexpected;
Be Accountable; and
Stay Motivated.
I didn’t have the opportunity to have the best internships to get valuable experience because a full-time school load and job took most of my time. However, by being resourceful I took as many opportunities as I could to get experience through class work, school organizations and professional events.
Success to me is not just about the end result; it is about the journey taken and lessons learned. I can’t and won’t promise perfection, that’s not what I learned in college. What I learned throughout my experience was to work hard for what you want and always strive for the best. What I will bring to the table is a foundation to build real world experiences. My foundation is the core of what will help me contribute to my future employers success. I am proud to say that my foundation consists of integrity, ambition, perseverance, leadership, self-discipline and a competitive and positive perspective. Lastly is determination to always continue my personal and professional development.
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I appreciate Kat sharing this opportunity to a fellow PR major and I am impressed with the will and determination by Elizabeth. I expect to see good things from these two and others who are applying themselves to our industry.
If you wanna win the game you've gotta take good aim
And get the most marbles with your hippo
Playin' Hungry Hungry Hippos
Hungry Hungry Hippos
...you've gotta take good aim
What are you doing to prepare for your shot at your professional future? If you are seeking an internship or job in the communications and public relations field, I highly encourage you to pay attention to the HAPPO movement.
On Friday, April 30, the second edition of Help A PR Pro Out (HAPPO) will be held fom 12-2 PM EST (11 AM - 1 PM Central).
What's HAPPO?
HAPPO (Help A PR Pro Out) is designed to help connect PR job seekers with employers looking for top talent. This time we're focusing efforts on college seniors and recent college grads.
* Are you an employer looking to fill a specific role? Contact me or your local champion with details so we can spread your information.
* Are you a blogger? Would you be interested in helping us build momentum for the event? Donate a post on your blog to highlight a worthy job seeker and tweet it to @helpaprproout.com and use the #HAPPO hashtag.
* Are you a job seeker? Ask a friend who wants to help in your job search to write a HAPPO post for you.
Over the weekend I had the pleasure of participating in and speaking at the 2010 PRSA Southwest District Conference in Oklahoma City. First off, great conference and huge kudos and thanks to the committee and Oklahoma City Chapter of PRSA for being such gracious hosts.
Image by 1980Andrew
Dale Chihuly's blown glass sculpture
at Oklahoma City's Museum of Art
Here are the PR take-aways and conference quick bites that struck me as being important:
The Roaming Gnome is apparently very popular.
So is OKC Mayor Mick Cornett and he's a much better speaker.
To make an exit all you you need is an NBA mascot create a diversion.
Be happy social media is complicated because it makes our jobs much more interesting.
Think people-centric business that serves existing customers.
Concentrating on customer happiness; "enthusiasts" are far greater than "influencers."
Whuffie: reputation, trust, reach, positive sentiment, influence, # of people you know, # of people who know you, reciprocity, and known accomplishments.
Rebuilding, Recapturing and Retaining Stakeholder Trust
Alan Hilburg, APR and Margaret Ritsch reminds us that communication is about listening.
A brand is the trust consumers put into products or services.
It's about what someone feels not about what they think.
Ask yourself, what are you a protagonist for?
Data --> Information --> Knowledge --> Wisdom
Culture is the environment in which we make decisions.
Relationships Matter: How to Develop Relationships with The Media To Generate Ongoing Press Coverage
Margo Mateas paints a picture of failed media pitches because PR people irritate reporters and our information is often (90% of the time) ineffective and irrelevent.
Stop doing stupid things like failing to research the target media outlet.
97% of media relations is preparation. We need to work smarter.
Understand a reporter's point of view.
Story origami: twist, fold, turn, bend, and turn it into something that benefits their audience.
Use an "Editor's Filter" - Summary statement, Why should I care? Are you credible? Call to action.
PR people get lost in the unimportant details when we have about 10 seconds to connect.
Give them what they need in the way they need it to develop the relationship.
Remember to front-load your e-mail pitches with relevant keywords and phrases.
Try this when working with a reporter: "Tell me what kind of stories you are looking for so I can help you."
You have to be real with reporters, be yourself, be casual, and be direct. Don't waste their time.
These are just a sample of the nuggets of information that I took from the conference. It was great connecting with some new and old friends. The conference title lived up to it's tagline: Your Network is Your Net Worth.
If you were at the conference, I'd love to get your thoughts on these or other sessions. If you couldn't make it, I hope you find something relevant in the post. Either way, the comments are yours.
One line has been stated, repeated, tweeted, retweeted and for some, even provides some relief: "2009 can suck it."
I don't consider myself to be mean-spirited or anything like that. My family just had a very difficult year. I won't bore you with the details, all I will say is peaks and valleys. Peaks and valleys.
No complaining about the past. We should always learn from the past upon going through life's (and work's) peaks and valleys and decide to move forward.
That's why I like some of the socialmedia, communications and public relationspredictions and dream posts for 2010. I think taking time to reflect on where we've been in the communications industry and look forward to organizational, collective and individual potential in the coming year is inspired.
So what's next?
I will leave the predictions for others who have down such a good job of taking their best shots at 2010. As for me, I have some plans:
APR - it's time to re-focus on getting accredited in public relations
PRactice, PRactice, PRactice - I love soaking in great knowledge, lessons, and ideas from books, blogs, and presentations. In 2010 I want to put even more key points into play at work and in my professional life. (Most recent book is a must-read: The New Rules of Marketing and PR.)
(Re)Learn conversational Spanish - I will be on a short-term mission trip to Spain in March for my church and I really need to get my act together on brushing up on the language. This is totally a personal thing and has been on my short-term goals list for quite some time.
Seek Speaking Opportunities - I have really enjoyed the opportunities I've had to speak to professionalorganizations and othergroups. I plan on continuing the trend and offering up such services. (I think I'm officially over my fear of public speaking.)
Clean up Social Media Garbage - It's time to go back and shut down accounts for those random social media tools left unattended. You know the ones I'm talking about. Tools that popped up and folks flocked to try them out but then left them swaying in the constant breeze of the Internet.
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I know there will be more for me to add to the list next year. For now, this will be a place for me to start. What about you? What's next for you in 2010? The comments are yours.
Oh and before I forget, Cheers and Merry New Year from Next Communications.
A couple of weeks ago while preparing for a speaking engagement, a few thoughts crossed my mind to share about social media integration.
I was preparing to participate on a panel entitled Creating Sustainable Conversations Online during the Dallas PRSA's Communications Summit. (Fellow panelists included Christi Day and Chad Sour and was moderated by Lauren Benson.)
Thankfully, we were provided with a few lead-in questions prior to coming to the panel to get the conversation going and topics flowing.
Three questions stood out for me as being particularly useful to ask yourself when thinking about how to effectively integrating social media strategies within a broader communication effort.
What do you hope to achieve through Social Media?
Clarity of message - Understanding that control of the message is a bit of an illusion, but since we are in the social web, we can provide clarity to it to bring it closer in line with our communication objectives.
Consistency in information - Make sure your organization's voice is one that can be replicated across communication channels.
Listen to (and for) issues - Be available for conversations. It may not always be comfortable, but is important for your community to 1.) know you are listening and 2.) understand that you care.
Provide assistance when and where possible.
Why were you there in the first place?
You must be present to win - We believed in the concept early on that conversations were occurring online with or without us.
We wanted to be available for those conversations or miss out on opportunities.
How do you keep conversations going and keep them coming back for more?
"Whether you think you can or can't, you're right."
- Dr. Adolph Brown, III
With all of the tools, trainings, conferences and research at your fingertips to access, learn, and use, what is keeping you from taking steps to advance or achieve your professional goals?
I am an advocate for communication professionals having working knowledge of the tools of the social web. I also believe being a life-long learner through a variety of professional development is a central component to having any kind of success in your field.
You might be asking yourself, "why '33' things? I mean that seems like a random number."
The reason is simple. Today is my 33rd birthday and I wanted to give you a present. So I present to you the 33 tips, trends, and thoughts that struck me as worthy of sharing with you from some of the best writers that I've come across:
Whew! That's a long list. I know I have a few source repeats, but I read some pretty great stuff. I hope you take some time and go through this gift of resources. You may even find new writers to follow. I know I have. Also, let me know if you have a particular post that is of interest that you'd like to share in the comments below. The party is yours.
I consider myself to be a competent communications professional working in school public relations. I understand the fundamentals of how to be an effective communicator and try to put into practice all of the lessons I've learned both from my education and on the job trials by fire.
I was doing quite well before all of this social media information smog hit me. What I didn't foresee were some very simple ideas becoming instant game-changers for me.
I have developed a growing online profile for myself both professionally and personally. Big deal, right? Right.
The idea of a personal brand never even crossed my mind until recently. I'm finding out that social media is making me better, both professionally and personally.
“Why are we threading the social web? Why are we spending hours a day reaching out, building connections, cultivating relationships, producing and consuming media that only a sliver of the world is even noticing?”
My answer for these questions comes down to four ways in which social media makes me a better communicator.
Relationships
People matter. The social web has allowed for me to engage in conversations, ask questions and have random discussions with folks. Many of these conversations have led to new and deepened some established relationships with colleagues, journalists, friends, and family thus enriching a variety of communities for me. I think Todd Defren says it nicely in his post, What is PR's Elevator pitch?
“PR pros are now much more focused on the ‘Relations’ side of ‘Public Relations.’”
There are so many great conferences, workshops, meetings that I would like to attend, but for a variety of reasons, don't. That's ok, because I can access most of the information and speakers through the wonderful network of people who attend these events and are willing to share their experiences via blogging (and microblogging) plus live or recorded video-streaming. Seeking knowledge is a tremendous benefit to make up for limitations in access. Paying attention to what people are reading, tagging, reviewing, and recommending helps make me smarter. related social web tools:Twitter Search, Twitter, Google Blog Search, Google Reader, Delicious, Digg
Opportunity
When opportunity knocks are you going to be ready to take action? Using social media has allowed me to pay attention and listen for opportunities to connect with people, pitch a story, or offer my consulting services to name a few. Could I have done these types of things without SM? Yes, but I would have only heard the faint sounds of opportunity as opposed to the reverberating beat of many chances to engage. related social web tools: Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon, Google Reader
Inspiration
Abraham Lincoln told us, “Whatever you are, be a good one.” I choose to be a good communications professional. I have found some great inspiration from other intelligent and wise PR people and talented designers. I agree with Daniel Pink, author of A whole New Mind, who argues that we’re “moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age.” He writes:
“The last few decades have belonged to a certain kind of person with a certain kind of mind—computer programmers who could crank code, lawyers who could craft contracts, MBAs who could crunch numbers.
But the keys to the kingdom are changing hands. The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind—creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers and meaning makers. These people—artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big picture thinkers—will now reap society’s richest rewards and share its greatest joys.” [emphasis added]
In other words “[e]conomic advantage and professional success no longer come from the logical, analytical skills of knowledge workers but from creative, conceptual, and relationship skills.” (Innovate or Die: Why Creativity is Economic Priority Number One)
Why do I thread the social web? I want to be a part of the connections and help facilitate conversations that might never had occurred before such a time as this.
I had the distinct pleasure today of helping five elementary school principals through the step-by-step process of creating their first campus blogs.
When the idea seed for school leadership blogging in our school district was first planted, it was met with lukewarm responses. However, when I spoke to individual principals who explained their concerns, almost all left either believing it was worth looking into or that they could indeed use a blog to help.
I was impressed that they collaborated and came up with a simple, but effective way to introduce their blogs. Each of them posted the following:
We are moving forward with social technology to enhance our ability to communicate. This will expand our level of effective communication with parents, student, staff and community members. We will post frequently discussed topics and other items of interest. As always, we welcome your input.
These simple statements represent the first steps by some admittedly nervous digital-immigrants who are looking for ways to be more efficient with their time, communication, and leadership. Time will tell if this blogging initiative will pay off in these areas for them. But it is encouraging to see more willing participants take the plunge. Maybe it helped that they were taking it together.
In honor of the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year...
Some time ago I ran across an informative as well as disturbing video from Sir Ken Robinson @ TED sharing ideas on education and posing the simple question: Do schools today kill creativity? I recommend reviewing this video (running time 19:29) and thinking about what you remember about school.
I've heard it said that if you were to bring someone from the past, say from 1960, and showed them your kitchen, they would likely be amazed to see the various electronic contraptions available to ease the burdens of cooking. They would also be astounded at the flat TV hanging on the wall with crystal-clear images. They might even be uncomfortable at all of the advancements in everyday life. But, put them in a typical classroom of today and they would likely feel right at home: a teacher at the front of the classroom talking to a group of students sitting all in neat little rows of desks.
What makes schools so different that we don't spend the same resources to aid the instruction to make life better for our students and teachers? Many advancements have taken shape and technology integration in classrooms is well beyond where it used to be, but we could do so much better.
Things are changing (for the better) and I look forward to the advancements that my kids will enjoy in their educational experiences. When the focus is truly on the students needs, education will have evolved:
I especially loved this interaction between a teacher and a little girl:
"What are you drawing?"
"I'm drawing a picture of God."
"But no one knows what God looks like."
"They will in a minute."
What do you want education to be? What needs to happen before you are proud of the state education?
Last week I had the distinct honor to work with the Friends of Texas Public Schools Strategic Planning Committee to participate in bringing a defined direction for the group. The group is a 501 c(3) non-profit dedicated to Texas public education and combating the negative coverage.
The Co-Founders and Board of Friends of Texas Public Schools decided it was time to evaluate where the group is and where it is going for it to be effective.
My interest in the group is two-fold:
I believe that a strong education system is the only way for a society to advance.
I want to share my ideas for how to engage communities.
Below are the planning stages that were created:
(I've added a few of my additional thoughts in blue.)
BELIEFS
Friends, family, faith and community are the support mechanisms that lead to human achievement.
Access to knowledge and educational opportunity are fundamental rights.
The power of collaboration exceeds the capacity of an individual’s effort.
All people have a personal responsibility to fulfill their individual worth.
All people have a responsibility to nurture and support children.
Compassion and giving to others are mutually beneficial.
MISSION
The mission of Friends of Texas Public Schools, the leading voice of optimism and hope for our public school family, is to ensure positive conversation about public schools by educating Texans through honest communication, productive dialogue, and relentless encouragement.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
Texas public school educators will be ambassadors for their profession.
Texans will believe that being an educator is noble. This was my favorite.
Texans will revere and respect their public schools.
Texans will recognize their role and become engaged in quality public education.
STRATEGIES
We will be a profound influence in the state-wide conversation about public education. I plan on plan on playing a major role with Friends to help with this strategy.
We will identify resources necessary and raise funds to achieve the Friends’ mission.
We will organize strategically and build capacity.
PARAMETERS
We will communicate openly and honestly. We had a good balance of Communications/PR people to go along with educators and even a lawyer.
We will treat all people with dignity and respect.
We will not allow obstacles to impede progress.
We will ensure fiscal responsibility.
We will not speak negatively about public education. This is so crucial for education. In education, particularly public education, we are our own worst enemy in speak down about the profession. We hope to change that for Texas.
Are these lofty goals? You bet. Are they worthy of trying to achieve? Absolutely.
What do you think? What do you believe the role of education in Texas (or in our society in general) should be? How high do you hold education in the scheme of things? (If you are interested, Friends has some suggested reading on the subject.
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